The present invention relates to bulldozers or the like having transversely extending blades, and more particularly to a flexible rock guard that prevents rocks and other debris from damaging the angle cylinder tube wall, the lift cylinder piston rod eye, or the lift cylinder mounting lugs when the dozer blade is angled.
The blade of an angling bulldozer is generally supported on a C-shaped frame which is pivotally connected adjacent its ends to the sides of the bulldozer as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,770 which is assigned to the assignee of the instant application. The blade is supported adjacent its mid portion to the center of the frame, and the opposed sides are connected to hydraulic cylinders for angling the blade. One angle cylinder is extended while the opposed cylinder is retracted to adjust the blade about a vertical axis.
At present, rocks and other debris fall over the top of the blade during operation of the bulldozer and lie on the top of the C-frame in front of the lift cylinder mounting lugs. When the blade is angled, one of the angle cylinders retracts and swings about a vertical pivot such that its cylindrical tube wall nearly abuts the lift cylinder lugs upstanding on the C-frame. The retracting angle cylinder pushes any rocks or debris lying on the top of the C-frame toward the lift cylinder lugs. Rocks and debris are sometimes trapped in the hollow space between the upstanding lift cylinder lugs and then crushed between the angle cylinder tube wall and the lift cylinder lugs during blade angling. The result is damage to the angle cylinder tube wall, the lift cylinder piston rod eye, or the lift cylinder mounting lugs which may necessitate repairs before continued operation of the machine.
These disadvantages of the present bulldozer construction have resulted in the flexible rock guard of the present invention. The rock guard is installed on the forward end of the lift cylinder mounting lugs and prevents rocks and other debris from being trapped between the lift cylinder lugs and the angle cylinder tube wall.